---
title: "People We Meet on Vacation"
year: 2026
kind: "film"
canonical: "https://film.one/film/people-we-meet-on-vacation"
fi1m_id: "people-we-meet-on-vacation"
imdb_id: "tt22740896"
tmdb_id: 1034716
wikidata_id: "Q130581843"
fi1m_score: 62
critics_score: 58
critics_reviews: 10
published: "2026-09-23T11:56:43.590880+00:00"
updated: "2026-09-23T11:56:43.924204+00:00"
region: "NZ"
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# People We Meet on Vacation (2026)

Directed by Brett Haley · 1h 56m · OFLC M · Comedy, Romance

## Identity

People We Meet on Vacation

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/film/people-we-meet-on-vacation
- **Type:** Film
- **Fi1m ID:** people-we-meet-on-vacation
- **IMDb ID:** tt22740896
- **TMDB ID:** 1034716
- **Wikidata ID:** Q130581843
- **Same entity:** https://www.imdb.com/title/tt22740896/, https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/1034716, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q130581843

**Fi1m score: 62** · Critics 58 from 10 reviews

*In a sentence:* We would take another holiday with Emily Bader and Tom Blyth, provided somebody else planned the conversation

> Emily Bader and Tom Blyth make agreeable holiday company in Brett Haley’s likeable but thin romance. The leads work harder than a script that gives their friendship too little substance across 116 minutes.

## Synopsis

Poppy (Emily Bader) and Alex (Tom Blyth) are best friends with different temperaments who go on holiday together. Their trips are platonic, but the possibility of romance complicates an arrangement built around friendship. Their story also involves Sarah (Sarah Catherine Hook), Swapna (Jameela Jamil) and David (Miles Heizer). Poppy and Alex have to consider what they want from one another beyond being travelling companions. Becoming a couple would change a relationship they already value, while continuing to call themselves friends leaves their attraction unresolved.

## Review

*People We Meet on Vacation* is a likeable but thin romantic comedy, sustained by its leads for longer than its writing deserves. Brett Haley’s adaptation of Emily Henry’s novel understands the comfort of watching two friends edge towards a relationship whose appeal is apparent from the start. A familiar outcome is perfectly acceptable if the waiting is interesting. The film manages that in patches, chiefly when the central pair make their holiday companionship feel easy and unforced.

Emily Bader and Tom Blyth give Poppy and Alex enough mutual ease to make their friendship plausible. We warmed to them in their holiday exchanges, because the actors seem to enjoy each other’s company rather than simply wait for the next romantic cue. Their attraction is readily believable, even when the writing gives us little else to go on. The problem arrives when we try to imagine these people away from the trips, with ordinary commitments and habits that might explain their choices.

The screenplay by Yulin Kuang, Amos Vernon and Nunzio Randazzo gives that ordinary life too little attention. The obstacles to romance feel inherited from other romantic comedies, and we never learn enough about this friendship to give them much weight. The supporting characters are especially poorly served, with too few concerns that matter independently of what happens between Poppy and Alex. A stronger sense of those other people might have made the central pair’s hesitation more understandable, but instead we spend too much time recognising the familiar shape of the story and waiting for it to move on.

Rob C. Givens’s glossy cinematography makes the holidays inviting, which is a legitimate pleasure in a film offering an undemanding escape. The places themselves make little impression beyond their usefulness as somewhere for the pair to be together. Travel could give a romance fresh situations and reveal habits that friends can otherwise conceal; here it provides too little of either. The scenery is agreeable, but it tells us less about Poppy and Alex than we need.

Evan Henke’s editing leaves too much of the film’s 116 minutes feeling repetitive. The holiday encounters need a firmer sense of change, rather than another return to the same question about the pair’s relationship. Keegan DeWitt’s music helps maintain the gentle romantic mood, though it cannot give those scenes the emotional weight the script has not earned. The comedy is similarly mild, with too few sharp exchanges to make the repetition enjoyable for its own sake.

This is for viewers already fond of friends-to-lovers stories, who are happy to let the performers cover some gaps in the writing. There are stretches where that bargain works, and the unthreatening mood has its uses. We would have liked a shorter film that gave these actors more individual people to play, with interests and obligations beyond the next shared trip. Choose it for the leads, provided a holiday romance with few surprises already sounds like enough.

*Fi1m score 62, published 23 September 2026.*

## What the critics say

The reviews lean mixed on People We Meet on Vacation, with most critics finding a pleasant, predictable romance carried by its leads. Praise centres on Tom Blyth and Emily Bader, whose charm and rapport give the familiar friends-to-lovers story some appeal. The glossy holiday settings also earn approval as undemanding escapism. Even the warmer notices tend to value its comforting familiarity rather than find much surprise in the storytelling.

The sharpest disagreement concerns whether the central relationship is convincing enough to overcome the clichés. Collider finds the pairing winning and the romance emotionally persuasive; The Guardian finds little chemistry, humour or reason to care. Between those poles, reservations cluster around thin characterisation, limited emotional depth and supporting players who mainly serve the leads. The spread is wide, but the consensus is more restrained: an amiable diversion for some, a forgettable exercise in the formula for others.

## Straight answers

**Is People We Meet on Vacation worth watching?**

*People We Meet on Vacation* is worth considering for fans of gentle friends-to-lovers romances, but its thin writing limits our score to 62 out of 100. We warmed to Emily Bader and Tom Blyth’s easy companionship, though the repetitive 116 minutes make it harder to recommend unless their chemistry and agreeable holiday scenery sound like enough.

**How long is People We Meet on Vacation, and what is it rated?**

*People We Meet on Vacation* runs 1h 56m and is rated M by the OFLC in New Zealand. It is a comedy and romance film.

**Where can I watch People We Meet on Vacation in New Zealand?**

*People We Meet on Vacation* is streaming on Netflix in New Zealand. Availability is checked daily; the links above go straight to each service.

**How violent or frightening is People We Meet on Vacation, and is it suitable for children?**

*People We Meet on Vacation* has a UK 12 certificate, so it is not a choice for younger children. We describe its romantic mood as gentle and unthreatening, but that does not establish the level of violence or frightening material; the certificate is the clearest guide to suitability for viewers aged 12 and above.

**How does People We Meet on Vacation compare to When Harry Met Sally...?**

*People We Meet on Vacation* offers agreeable holiday companionship, but we recommend [*When Harry Met Sally...*](https://film.one/film/when-harry-met-sally) more strongly for a friendship grounded in arguments, private jokes and recognisable adult habits. Bader and Blyth make the attraction believable, while the writing gives them less to work with; choose their film if gentle holiday escapism matters more than sharp conversation.

**Is People We Meet on Vacation based on a true story or a book?**

*People We Meet on Vacation* is adapted from Emily Henry’s novel, rather than presented as a true story. We find the film’s friends-to-lovers premise easy to follow without prior reading, though we make no judgement about its fidelity to the book; our reservation is that the screenplay gives the friendship too little substance.

**What should I watch after People We Meet on Vacation?**

After *People We Meet on Vacation*, try [*When Harry Met Sally...*](https://film.one/film/when-harry-met-sally) (1989, Fi1m 84): For a friendship made convincing through arguments, private jokes and recognisable adult habits. Then [*Before Sunrise*](https://film.one/film/before-sunrise) (1995, Fi1m 89): A travelling romance that lets conversation make the attraction worth believing in; and [*Rye Lane*](https://film.one/film/rye-lane) (2023, Fi1m 78): A livelier romantic comedy with sharp conversation and a proper sense of place.

### Reviews we read (10)

- **The Hollywood Reporter**, Angie Han (65/100, inferred): The critic finds the film a pleasant but not transformative romantic fantasy that works best thanks to the leads' easy chemistry, while noting its limited interest in the characters' everyday lives or the appeal of travel itself. [Read](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/people-we-meet-on-vacation-review-netflix-emily-henry-1236466497/)
- **Variety**, Guy Lodge (65/100, inferred): The critic calls the film a slight, sunny, undemanding Netflix romcom that coasts on the charms of its stars without surprises or subversions, offering comforting predictability. [Read](https://variety.com/2026/film/reviews/people-we-meet-on-vacation-review-1236626469/)
- **Radio Times**, Dave Golder (3/5): A predictable globe-trotting romcom about best friends on platonic vacations that ultimately resolves as expected. It is glossy, well-crafted and witty, with charm from the lead performances. [Read](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-4n6dwb/people-we-meet-on-vacation/)
- **The Telegraph**, Robbie Collin (3/5): This is a glossy, globe-trotting will-they-won’t-they romance that is perfect for winter escapism, a winningly corny adaptation with enough spark between the leads to feel fun and engaging. It lacks the emotional candour of similar stories like One Day but delivers as a low-stress package tour of romcom highlights. [Read](https://www.telegraph.co.uk/films/2026/01/09/people-we-meet-on-vacation-review/)
- **The New York Times**, Jeannette Catsoulis (55/100, inferred): The critic finds the romantic comedy occasionally cute but instantly forgettable, with a predictable ending and a mountain of clichés to overcome despite appealing leads. [Read](https://www.nytimes.com/2026/01/08/movies/people-we-meet-on-vacation-review.html)
- **The AV Club**, Caroline Siede (C-): The critic calls the film thin and forgettable, criticizing its lack of wit, genuine chemistry, or emotional depth despite the stars' efforts and globe-trotting premise, leaving it feeling more like a generic travelogue than a real romance. [Read](https://www.avclub.com/people-we-meet-on-vacation-review)
- **Financial Times**, Jonathan Romney (1): The film is When Harry Met Sally without the zingers or chemistry; it abandons comedy for lachrymose philosophising and serves mainly as a vehicle for its lead with limited real chalk-and-cheese dynamic between the stars. [Read](https://www.ft.com/content/dc37fc48-0bef-4218-91a3-29b900e4aae4)
- **The Guardian** (30/100, inferred): The adaptation is a glossily made yet charmless attempt to resurrect the friends-to-lovers formula, with nothing to root for or care about. The script fails to justify the central relationship or deliver genuine humour or insight, disappointing given director Brett Haley's earlier work. [Read](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2026/jan/08/people-we-meet-on-vacation-netflix-review)
- **Collider**, Carly Lane (9/10): The critic praises the effervescent, charming adaptation with winning performances from Tom Blyth and Emily Bader as the perfect leading pair in this opposites-attract friends-to-lovers story. They single out the strong central duo and the emotional rain-soaked climax for praise, while noting underdeveloped supporting characters as a minor complaint. [Read](https://collider.com/people-we-meet-on-vacation-review-netflix-tom-blyth-emily-bader/)
- **Digital Spy**, Gabriella Geisinger (75/100, inferred): The critic recommends the film as a comforting alternative to tearjerkers like One Day for fans of the source novel. She praises the charming leads and escapist summer vacation settings while noting the supporting cast serves mainly as foils. [Read](https://www.digitalspy.com/movies/a69923445/people-we-meet-on-vacation-review-netflix/)

## Details

- **Director:** Brett Haley
- **Director:** Brett Haley
- **Screenplay:** Yulin Kuang, Amos Vernon, Nunzio Randazzo
- **Novel:** Emily Henry
- **Cinematography:** Rob C. Givens
- **Editor:** Evan Henke
- **Music:** Keegan DeWitt
- **Costume design:** Colin Wilkes
- **Producer:** Wyck Godfrey, Isaac Klausner, Marty Bowen
- **Cast:** Emily Bader as Poppy; Tom Blyth as Alex; Sarah Catherine Hook as Sarah; Jameela Jamil as Swapna; Miles Heizer as David; Tommy Do as Nam; Lucien Laviscount as Trey; Alan Ruck as Jimmy
- **Runtime:** 1h 56m
- **Certificate (OFLC):** M
- **Release (New Zealand):** 9 January 2026
- **Genres:** Comedy, Romance
- **Budget:** $1 million
- **Trailer:** https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m1C9DTOUH5s

## Where to watch in New Zealand

- Netflix: streaming

*Checked 2026-09-23.*

Also available in: AE, AR, AT, AU, AZ, BE, BG, BR, CA, CH, CL, CO, CZ, DE, DK, EC, EE, ES, FI, FR, GB, GR, HK, HR, HU, ID, IE, IL, IN, IS, IT, JP, KR, LT, MX, MY, NL, NO, NZ, PA, PE, PH, PL, PT, RO, RS, SE, SG, SI, SK, TH, TR, UA, US, VN, ZA. Add `?region=XX` to this URL for another country.

## If you liked this

- *When Harry Met Sally...* (1989), Fi1m 84: For a friendship made convincing through arguments, private jokes and recognisable adult habits. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/when-harry-met-sally.md)
- *Before Sunrise* (1995), Fi1m 89: A travelling romance that lets conversation make the attraction worth believing in. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/before-sunrise.md)
- *Love & Basketball* (2000): Two people whose ambitions matter as much as their attraction to each other.
- *The Lunchbox* (2013): A patient romance built from daily routines and two carefully drawn lives.
- *Rye Lane* (2023), Fi1m 78: A livelier romantic comedy with sharp conversation and a proper sense of place. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/rye-lane.md)

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/film/people-we-meet-on-vacation